Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles: Washington Post
Pentagon records show the hires were labeled civilian employees, while officials declined to say whether they are paid by taxpayers or what roles they hold.
- On Sunday, The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon secretly installed several conservative military veterans into civilian roles to amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's viewpoints and "attack those who scrutinize the Trump administration."
- Retired Air Force Colonel Rob Maness and retired Army Colonel Kurt Schlichter, with more than 135,000 and nearly 620,000 followers respectively, were labeled with a ".civ" suffix, designating them as civilian employees rather than contractors.
- Pentagon records indicate these individuals, including retired Army Colonel Thomas Anderson, hold official email addresses and report to the office of Anthony Tata, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, though officials declined to disclose their specific government duties.
- Political analysts and public figures expressed outrage, with political writer Jim Stewartson calling the operation "a roundabout way to use taxpayer money to pay for psyops against taxpayers" in a post on Sunday.
- The Pentagon refuses to disclose assignment details despite the Trump administration's claims that it operates the "most transparent Defense Department ever," raising concerns about government resources used for partisan messaging.
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Conservative journalists fire back at Washington Post after report claiming Pentagon 'secretly installed' them – Democratic Accent
Conservative journalists attacked The Washington Post for a report on Sunday suggesting they were “secretly... The post Conservative journalists fire back at Washington Post after report claiming Pentagon ‘secretly installed’ them appeared first on Democratic Accent .
Conservative journalists fire back at Washington Post after report claiming Pentagon 'secretly installed' them
Military veterans Rob Maness, Kurt Schlichter and Thomas Anderson denied The Washington Post's claims they were "secretly installed" to push Department of War narratives.
Pentagon Declines To Explain Why Three Conservative Influencers Have Government Email Addresses
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Running The Pentagon Into The Ground
I’m writing today for The Big Picture about the wave of dysfunction hitting the Pentagon this week and what it says about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s grip on the department.It’s been a lot to keep track of. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned this week after months of friction with Hegseth, reportedly after speaking directly to Trump about serious senior personnel issues. The Washington Post also reported this week that the Pentagon has…
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